In short, cognitive aging means that as we get older, our mental functions become less nimble and flexible, and many aspects of our memory get a little worse. We also become more easily distracted by busy environments, and it takes more effort to work through complex problems and decisions.
One of the most well-known things about getting older is the health issues. Diseases come forward, your body starts to deteriorate, and it's harder to stay physically healthy and active. Many little things begin to happen that you have never considered before.
Common conditions in older age include hearing loss, cataracts and refractive errors, back and neck pain and osteoarthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, depression and dementia. As people age, they are more likely to experience several conditions at the same time.
Now, research has shown that the elderly are often unable to adjust to new surroundings because of the deterioration of a brain circuit which plays a critical role in goal-directing learning.
Some signs of aging can be seen from the outside: Your hair turns gray, and wrinkles and age spots appear on your skin. Our bodies are less able to store fluid in older age, so our spinal discs shrink and lose elasticity, for instance. As a result, people get smaller as they grow older.
With age, your skin thins and becomes less elastic and more fragile, and fatty tissue just below the skin decreases. You might notice that you bruise more easily. Decreased production of natural oils might make your skin drier. Wrinkles, age spots and small growths called skin tags are more common.
What to expect: As we continue to age, we may be concerned about losing cognitive function. It may be harder to learn new tasks, recall information or keep track of everyday household items. That's normal as our brain grows older. The brain changes caused by Alzheimer's disease, however, are not a normal part of aging.
Many people in their 60s start to notice that their minds aren't quite as sharp as before. It may take you longer to recall names and facts, recognize patterns, or solve problems. This mental decline only continues as you age. On the upside, your vocabulary, knowledge, and long-term memory likely will stay stable.
These changes in aging people can often bring on irrational feelings and emotions. So some aging people will react with physical complaints, denial, guilt, and loneliness. They experience a sense of helplessness as they face retirement, income limitations, and new living arrangements.
Aging can cause stress. It can be stressful just thinking about the fact that we are getting older! There are both physical as well as emotional stressors of aging that can impact people in different ways. Some people will experience more physical than emotional stressors, while for some the reverse will be true.
Common negative stereotypes about older people include their suffering from poor health and loneliness, physical and cognitive incompetency, unproductivity and unattractiveness [2, 3, 9, 44].
Physiologically speaking, what are the main reasons we slow down with age? Our bodies produce less testosterone, human growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor and our V02 and maximal HR decreases. If we don't train it, we lose muscle, beginning as early as in our late thirties.
There are plenty of potential culprits. Medications for blood pressure, sleep problems, pain and gastrointestinal reflux can induce fatigue, as can infections, conditions such as arthritis, an underactive thyroid, poor nutrition and alcohol use. All can be addressed, doctors say.
Bathing once or twice a week is acceptable for older adults, as the purpose is to prevent the skin from breaking down and lower the risk of skin infections. Seniors also tend to be less active than younger adults, so they can get away with fewer baths.
The major cause of death in the 55-64 age group is cancer followed by heart disease and injury. In the 75+ age group, the leading cause shifts to heart disease, and injury drops below Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), cerebrovascular diseases, and pneumonia.
Older adults need about the same amount of sleep as all adults—7 to 9 hours each night. But, older people tend to go to sleep earlier and get up earlier than they did when they were younger. There are many reasons why older people may not get enough sleep at night.
Adults over age 65 are more likely to encounter diseases related to aging, such as Alzheimer's disease, or more advanced chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.
After age 30, people tend to lose lean tissue. Your muscles, liver, kidney, and other organs may lose some of their cells. This process of muscle loss is called atrophy. Bones may lose some of their minerals and become less dense (a condition called osteopenia in the early stages and osteoporosis in the later stages).
'Normal' Signs of Aging vs.
Natural changes happen in the body as we age, such as skin damage from sun exposure, loss of muscle and physical strength, loss of some sight and hearing, as well as changes to our sleep patterns, energy levels and appetite.
While the younger group's personalities remained more or less the same overall, the older group's personality traits begin to shift, so that on average, they became less open and extraverted, as well as less agreeable and conscientious.